Dalai Lama asserted that Tibetans are ready to be part of China, if they would be allowed to preserve their culture and language.
Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama on Friday asserted that Tibetans are ready to be part of China, if they would be allowed to preserve their culture and language.
The spiritual leader while addressing 'Thank You Karnataka' event, said, "Tibetan issue will never die, it will remain. We are not seeking independence. We are very much committed to remain with the People's Republic of China, provided we have full rights to preserve our culture and language."
The Dalai Lama also thanked former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru and India, for helping the Tibetan refugees in exile. He also thanked Karnataka for its extraordinary support for the Tibetans.
The event was organised by the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA).
Thousands of Tibetans were forced to flee from their country when China annexed Tibet in 1950. The Dalai Lama also fled to India during that time.
Tibetans living in exile across the globe are observing the year 2018 as “Thank You India” year. This, they say, is an expression of their gratitude towards a country which not only gave them shelter but also helped keep their “freedom struggle” and “movement” alive for six decades.
McLeodganj - the seat of the Tibetan Government-In-Exile--in Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh is not called “Little Lhasa” for nothing. This place has not been just a home away from home for the exiled Tibetans. It has also been a launchpad sheltering a struggle which hopes to return the exiled Tibetans to their homeland some day.
Earlier, the Dalai Lama courted controversy when he said Jawaharlal Nehru had a "self-centred attitude" to become India's first prime minister even though Mahatma Gandhi was in favour of Muhammad Ali Jinnah taking the top post at that time.
He had also claimed India's partition would not have happened if Mahatma Gandhi's wish of Jinnah becoming the prime minister had materialised.
However, he later aplogised for his statement. "My statement has created a controversy. I apologise if I have said something wrong," he said.
(With agency inputs)
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